Then What Can You Be A Part Of?
by Element Of One
Summary: Following the events of the episode, "On the Road," Steven arrives back the temple and falls asleep. When he does, he has a horrible nightmare...(FYI Man of Steel influence is present)
1. Chapter 1

**Then what can you be a part of?**

**By: Element of One**

A beam of light came down upon the warp pad, and now standing there, was Amethyst, Pearl and Steven. _"Where were you two!?"_ Garnet asked angrily, as she stood before them with her arms folded. Pearl nervously responded, _"They were at kindergarten…" _Garnet's mouth dropped as she heard Pearl's words. _"Does Steven know?" _Garnet asked as she focused her attention on Amethyst. _"Yes, he knows now…"_ Pearl exclaimed for her. Garnet took in a deep breathe, then sighed, as she said to Steven, _"Go to bed Steven, its late…"_ Steven didn't object, as he was filled with exhaustion, so he immediately stepped off the warp pad and walked up the stairs towards his bedroom.

Garnet waited for Steven to lay down and fall asleep. When he did, she glared down at Amethyst and said, _"You and I are going to have a talk right now!"_ She immediately grabbed Amethyst by her arm, and began marching towards the gem door. _"Wait!"_ Pearl whispered. _"It's okay! Steven understands now and he doesn't care! He accepts us for who we are! Please don't lose your temper!"_ But Garnet ignored her words, as she continued to focus her attention on Amethyst. She took off her visors, and while staring at Amethyst she said, "_You don't understand the implications of what you have done!" _Garnet forced herself to whisper and remain calm as she continued, _"Steven wasn't ready to be exposed to this! He wasn't ready to be exposed to the horrors that is gem culture!"_

Amethyst gave no response, and tears began flowing from her eyes. The door to the temple opened, as Garnet and Amethyst both disappeared into the room. Pearl held onto Amethyst's other arm, and she too was beginning to cry as she prayed silently, _"Please guide us Rose!...Don't let us be divided!" _The door to the temple closed, and all three were gone.

Steven began to toss and turn in his sleep, as he started to dream…..

_**The Nightmare**_

Steven opened his eyes and found that he was lying face down on the beach. As he began to push himself up, he looked forward and saw that there was a pair of legs standing before him. As he looked at the legs, he began to notice that they were massive and solid green. When he lifted his head up further, his eyes began to observe the being that was before him in its entirety. _"Peridot?"_ Steven asked as he stared at her face. He picked himself up off the ground and began to wipe the sand from his clothing. Steven remembered back to that evening when he was having trouble sleeping. He recalls how the gems took him to the central warp pad, how they did this to ease his mind, and it was there that he first caught glimpse of Peridot, the gem that was now standing before him.

"_You're Peridot? Aren't you?"_ Steven asked nervously. _"You must be the offspring of Rose Quartz," _she replied. Steven could sense that there was no kindness in her voice, so he responded reluctantly, _"Ummm, yes. Rose is my Mom… Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst are my…."_ But she interrupted him as she said, _"The Crystal Gems…."_ Steven had a bewildered look in his eyes as he asked, _"How do you know who we are?"_ Peridot turned her attention towards the tide. She stared out into the distance where the ocean met the sky, then said, _"I know all about the Crystal Gems, and your Mother….."_

She looked down at Steven and said, _"They fled our planet and settled here on earth." _Steven looked up at her, and forced a slight smile on his face as he said, _"That's right! That's what my Mom and the gems did!"_ Steven waited for a response, as Peridot continued to stare down at him. _"They didn't do a very good job of keeping this world a secret," _She exclaimed. Steven's heart sank as he heard her words, then she continued, _"Now we're all coming…"_ He looked at her and asked, _"What do you mean all of you? Who else is coming?"_

Suddenly Peridot looked out towards the ocean again, and as she did, thousands of gem machines game down from the clouds. Steven's mouth dropped, as he observed how several of the gem machines looked just like the ones that Amethyst had shown him at her birth place. As Steven was about to say something, another machine came down from the clouds, and landed into the ocean. The machine was so massive, that when it hit the ocean, it sent a title wave towards them. Peridot instantly grabbed Steven, and summoned a shield that enveloped their entire bodies. Steven watched as the force of the water began pounding the shield, but Peridot stood and kept her composure.

When the water had subsided, the shield disappeared, and Peridot set Steven down onto the ground. Steven looked at her anxiously and asked, _"What was that!? What's happening!?"_ She gave no response as she continued to look out towards the machine. By now several of the smaller gem machines, which had a spider like appearance to them, began to fly off into different directions of the sky. Steven observed the massive machine that was standing out in the ocean, how it too took the appearance of a massive Spider. Once again he looked up at Peridot and asked, _"What is that!? Can you please tell me what's going on!? I'm scared!"_

Peridot stared down at him, and said, _"That's the World Machine, we're rebuilding our Planet…" _Steven's mouth dropped as he heard her words. He continued to look up at her and was searching her eyes for any ounce of compassion that he could find, but there was none. He now realized that Peridot was not a friend, and he began to cry as The Crystal Gems were nowhere in sight. Steven looked back out towards the water, and watched as a burst of energy came down from underneath the machine, as it hit the ocean. When it did, Steven was knocked off his feet, as a gust wind hit the shore.

When he opened his eyes, he looked up towards the sky and saw that it was now completely grey, with no cloud insight. He frantically got to his feet and began to stare at the tide, he observed how it was "blood red" in appearance. As he looked around him, he saw that there were no trees, no vegetation, or any signs of life. He observed, off into the distance, that the temple was now destroyed and lying in ruins. Steven began to sob, and when he did, Peridot began to talk.

"_Rose came to earth with her companions, with one goal in mind, to live amongst the population…."_

"_In doing so, she put a whole group of species at risk. Our planet was ravaged by war and genocide…."_

"_But now we're forced to rebuild, earth's atmosphere is a suitable environment…"_

Steven looked up at her, with tears in his eyes and asked, _"If the gem home world is rebuilt, what happens to earth?"_

Peridot responded, _"Earth's resources are accommodating, and gem culture will rebuild itself, but the planet will not be able to sustain both Species…"_

Suddenly Steven's body began to sink, and when he looked down at the ground, he saw that there were "human bones" surrounding his legs. As he continued to sink, he looked up at her and said pleadingly,

"_Please! Peridot! This isn't right! This is my home! I can't be a part of this!"_

She stared down at him with a callous look in her eyes, as she asked,

"_Then what can you be a part of?"_

Steven continued to sink, and when his head came underneath the surface, he woke up in his bedroom screaming,

"_NOOOOOOO!"_

Suddenly the door to the temple opened, and as Steven was looking up towards the ceiling, he heard the sound of someone racing up the stairs.

"_Steven! Are you Okay!?" _Pearl shouted…


	2. Chapter 2: Fearless Leader

**Chapter 2: Fearless Leader**

"_What's wrong!?"_ Garnet shouted, as she came running out from the temple door. _"It's Steven!"_ Pearl replied, as she came walking down the stairs with Steven wrapped her arms. _"He had a nightmare! He's a little upset right now!"_ Garnet looked down upon him, then extended her arm out and gently wiped the tears from his face. _"Is this about earlier?"_ Garnet subtly asked, as she gazed down at him. _"What you saw at kindergarten?"_ Steven nodded his head, then Garnet said_, "Give him to me."_ Pearl pulled Steven away from her embrace, then handed him off to Garnet. _"Steven and I are going to take a trip,"_ Garnet exclaimed, as she held him then headed towards the door.

"_Can't this wait till the morning?"_ Pearl asked, as she began to get upset and followed her. _"No."_ Garnet replied. _"It can't wait. We have to do this now." _Then she continued, _"Stay here, Steven and I are going alone."_ Then Pearl protested, _"What about Amethyst!?"_ As Garnet was walking, she turned her head, then said, _"That's why I want you to stay here. Watch over her."_ As the two were about to exit the house, Pearl shouted, _"Wait! When are the two of you coming back? Why don't you just use the warp pad? It's quicker!" _Then Garnet replied_, "We won't be gone that long. We're coming back when I feel that Steven has reassurance. He and I need to talk for a little while, so I prefer to walk."_

Once Garnet exited the house, she shut the door and began to walk down the stairs. Steven looked up at her and asked, _"Where are we going?"_ She held him close as she replied, _"We're going to kindergarten."_ When he heard her words, Steven began to shake, as he looked up towards the night sky and could feel the crisp cool night air. _"Don't worry,"_ Garnet whispered, as she began to caress her fingers through his hair. _"It was just a nightmare, Steven. Close your eyes and try to rest. I'll wake you up when we've arrived."_ With that, Steven shut his eyes and buried his face into her arms. As he drifted off to sleep, he could hear the sound of her footsteps pressing down into the sound, as they headed further and further away from the temple.

_**Kindergarten**_

Steven opened his eyes and started to stretch, and when he did, he saw Garnet standing before him. _"Did you sleep okay?"_ She asked, as she helped him to his feet. _"Did you have any more nightmares?" _She continued.Steven yawned, then he replied, _"I slept fine. Surprisingly no, I didn't have any nightmares."_ Garnet adjusted her visors, then looked up and said, _"We're here Steven."_ He adjusted his eye sight to the morning sun, then looked up towards the walls of the canyon. When he did, Steven had an uneasy feeling come over him as he could now see the dozens of gem drilling machines imbedded into the walls of the canyon. Steven grew nervous, so he got close to Garnet and grabbed onto her leg. _"I really don't want to be here!" _He exclaimed, as he looked up towards her, and now had a few tears streaming down his face.

"_There's nothing to fear,"_ Garnet said, as she kneeled down before him_. "I can assure you that whatever you saw in your nightmare, was not reality." _She exclaimed. Garnet rose to her feet then continued, _"Stand back Steven. There's something that I want to show you." _Steven listened and stood back, as Garnet summoned her gauntlets, then slammed both of her fists down onto the gem drilling machine that was laying before her. _"Look Steven," _She exclaimed, as she kneeled down once more, then reached into the pile of debris that was once a gem drilling machine. _"What is that?"_ Steven asked, as he observed what she was holding in palm of her hand. _"They're false gems,"_ Garnet subtly replied, as she too was looking down at her palm.

Steven began to stare at the numerous gemstones that she was holding. He saw that there were "diamonds present, sapphires, emeralds," and many more gemstones. _"What do you mean they're false gems?"_ Steven asked, as he waited for a response. _"These gems were never meant to be in existence,"_ Garnet replied. She paused for a moment, then continued _"They were created for only two purposes. The genocide of the human race and to aid in the settlement of a new home world."_ Steven watched as Garnet dropped the gemstones to the ground, then he looked back at her and asked, _"Does that mean Amethyst is a mistake!? She was never meant to be created!?"_ She was silent, as the gauntlets on both of her hands began to disappear, then she grabbed Steven and held him close.

"_Amethyst is not a mistake,"_ she exclaimed. _"She's the product of an event that was beyond her control."_ Garnet rose to her feet, then held Steven's hand. As the two stood there, in silence, they were now facing the canyon when Garnet continued to talk. _"We can't choose how we come into this world,"_ she whispered, then she looked down at Steven and said. _"Your mother saw the good in all things, and that was Amethyst."_ As Steven was staring at the numerous drilling machines, he looked up at Garnet, then asked, _"Do you ever think that this could happen again? If more gems could be grown here on earth?"_ _"No,"_ She replied. _"We're the only one's here now, just the four of us."_

"_Let's go now Steven, you've seen enough," _Garnet exclaimed, as she grabbed him, then leaped onto the cliff towards the warp pad. Steven was now standing on the warp pad, and as he looked down at his feet, he nervously asked, _"Are you sure no one else can come to earth? What about that other gem, the one who we saw at the galaxy warp, Peridot? What if she comes back to earth?"_ Garnet became silent, as she pondered his concerns. She was about to respond, when suddenly she felt an uneasy feeling come over her. She felt a "disturbance," as she began searching her thoughts and feelings, only to find that she could not deny what was about to occur. She looked up towards the sky, as Steven said, _"Garnet! What's wrong!? Is everything okay!?"_ Then she looked down at him, and said, _"Here's the thing Steven, she's already back. She's on her way right now, as we speak."_ Steven's eyes grew wide, as he looked up towards the sky and saw a "green metallic ship" descend from the clouds. _"We have to hide!"_ Steven shouted, as he grabbed her by the hand and attempted pull her away. When he could feel that she was not moving, and her body was completely stiff, he looked up at her and yelled, _"What are you doing!? We have to hide! She's going to be here any moment now!"_

"_No more hiding,"_ Garnet replied, as she summoned her gauntlet's and looked up towards the descending spacecraft. _"I want to know who she is, and why she's here. If she attacks me, this will be her last trip to earth…"_ Then Steven pleaded with her, _"Wait Garnet! You can't do this alone! We need to get Pearl and Amethyst!"_ Without warning, Garnet pushed Steven onto the warp pad, then replied, _"Then go and get them."_ A beam of light came down upon the warp pad, as Steven disappeared. The last thing that Steven saw before he left, was the ship landing on the cliff above and Garnet leaping towards it with both of her gauntlets drawn….

_**The Temple**_

Pearl and Amethyst were sitting on the couch, and observed as a beam of light came down upon the warp pad. _"Guys, we have to go!"_ Steven shouted, as he ran off the warp pad towards them. _"We have to go back to kindergarten!"_ _"Why? What happened" _Pearl asked, as she had a look of concern on her face, then Amethyst said. _"Yeah Steven, why would you want to go back to that place?" There's nothing but bad memories there!"_ Steven grabbed both of them by their hands and said, _"It's Garnet! She's in trouble! We have to go now!"_ In no time, Pearl and Amethyst jumped off the couch, then ran towards the warp pad. _"Stay here Steven!" _Pearl shouted, as she turned to face him and was now standing on the warp pad. _"But I want to come to! Garnet needs my help!_" Steven shouted back, then Pearl quickly responded, _"This is not up for discussion! Stay here!"_

Then a beam of light came down upon them, as Steven defiantly jumped into the warp stream. _"What are you doing!?"_ Pearl shouted, as she could see Steven making his way up towards them in the stream. _"I thought I told you to stay! Why don't you ever listen to me!?"_ Then Steven protested, _"You guys are gonna need my help! I'm not going to let Garnet fight all by herself!" _Pearl and Amethyst stared at each other, then Amethyst asked_, "Fight who?"_ Then Steven quickly replied, _"Peridot! She came back to earth! My nightmare is becoming real!" _Pearl had a shocked look on her face, as she stared at Amethyst and said, _"This can't be happening! First Lapis, now this gem! It's been so peaceful for so long! Why must it come to an end!?"_

"_I don't care who it is!"_ Amethyst replied, as she could feel her anger brewing inside of her. _"It doesn't matter, I'll kill them all!" _The three gems continued to float aimlessly, as they were carried by the current of the warp stream.

_**The Wrath of Garnet **_

The three stepped off the warp pad, and immediately ran to the edge of the small cliff that was before them. Pearl already had her spear drawn, and as she looked around, she frantically called out to her friend. _"Garnet! Where are you!?"_ She shouted, but there was no response. Her voice echoed throughout the canyon, and as it did, Amethyst said, _"What the hell happened here!? This place looks like a warzone!" _The three observed how the walls of the canyon were bare, as all the gem drilling machines were destroyed and now laying on the floor. _"We waited too long!"_ Steven cried, as he stared at the debris of machines that was before him. _"I should've just stayed with her!"_

Steven's eyes began to look up, and when they did, he noticed that the green metallic ship was still sitting on the cliff above. _"Look guys! There it is! There's the ship!" _he exclaimed. Pearl's heart sank, as she looked up and saw the spacecraft. _"Come on Steven, we're leaving! It's time to go back to the temple!"_ Pearl yelled, as she immediately scooped him up and began briskly walking back towards the warp pad. Suddenly, the pile of debris shifted as the gem being known as Peridot leaped out, and grabbed onto the cliff beneath their feet. Pearl screamed as she was staring at her, then Amethyst shouted, _"Get him out of here! I can handle this!"_

Amethyst summoned her whip, then swung it down upon Peridot, but before she could do any damage, Peridot yanked her whip away from her easily. Amethyst was in shock, as she saw how Peridot held onto the cliff with one arm, and with her other arm she transformed it into a "canon." Amethyst was now staring down at the barrel of the canon, when Peridot looked at her and spoke in a mechanized voice, _"You're defective. It shall be easy to reprogram you once I've confiscated your gem. Hold still."_ Amethyst watched, as a light of green energy began to develop in the canon, and her face suddenly felt warm, as she could feel the heat that was exhausting from it. But before Peridot could fire at Amethyst, Garnet leaped out of the debris and grabbed onto her.

"_Garnet!"_ Steven screamed. _"You're alive!"_ She was silent, as she began grimacing in pain, and was holding onto Peridot's throat. She grabbed Peridot's arm, then with all her strength and in one swift motion, she ripped out the canon. Peridot screamed out in agonizing pain, as she and Garnet fell back to the ground. Amethyst ran towards the edge of the cliff and was about to jump down to aid her friend, but before she could, she saw that Garnet was now standing over Peridot, with her foot pressed down upon her chest. _"Are you okay?"_ Amethyst asked, as she leaped down onto the ground and walked towards her. _"I'm fine,"_ Garnet replied, as she continued to stare down at Peridot. Amethyst began to look her over, and as she did, she saw that her visors were shattered, but were somehow still attached to her face. She saw that she had bruises and cuts all over her body, but she was still standing.

"_You don't look okay,"_ Amethyst exclaimed. Then Garnet replied, _"Look down at her. She's the one missing an arm, not me. I'm fine."_ Amethyst looked down at Peridot and asked, _"Who are you? Why are you here?"_ Peridot looked back at her, then responded once again a mechanized tone. _"You're defective, your memory needs to be replaced. You were created for a purpose, other than what you are currently doing right now."_ Amethyst became frustrated, then shouted, _"So who the hell are you!? Are you like my creator or something!? Because if you are, then you and me have lot to talk about!"_ Peridot was emotionless, as she replied, _"No, I'm not the creator. But I serve him. He will be most displeased, when I report back to him. You shall be dealt with." _

"_Is everything okay down there?"_ Pearl asked, as she hesitantly peered over the small cliff, with Steven still wrapped in her arms. Peridot looked up to observe her, then said, _"Master Bloodstone will be pleased to know that I've located the two of you." _Then she turned to face Garnet and continued, _"Rose Quartz must be close by. The three of you are fugitives. You're wanted by the council for crimes against other gems, and for fleeing the home world._" Amethyst had a worried look on her face, as she stared up at Garnet, then said, _"What are we going to do!? I don't know about you, but I'm a little worried right now!"_

"_I've heard enough of this,"_ Garnet exclaimed, as she continued to press her foot down upon Peridot. _"You and Pearl go back to the Temple, I'll be there shortly."_ Amethyst, without questioning Garnet, leaped back onto the cliff and said to Pearl, _"We need to go, now!" _Pearl looked at Amethyst, then looked down upon Garnet, and when she saw that she summoned her gauntlets, she immediately turned around and walked towards the warp pad. _"Wait guys! What about Garnet!? Isn't she coming too!?"_ Steven asked, as Pearl was holding him _"Yes!"_ Pearl replied. _"Garnet will be home soon! But right now we're leaving!"_

"_Cover your ears!"_

"_Cover my ears!? Why!?"_ Steven protested, then Pearl quickly responded, _"Because I said so Steven!"_ As they were standing on the warp pad, while holding Steven, Pearl began to jump up and down. _"Why isn't it working!?"_ Pearl asked. _"We need to get out of here!"_ Amethyst looked down at her feet, then said, _"It's not going to work, it's chipped. We need to start walking."_ Pearl had a wild expression on her face as she said, _"Let's just wait up here for a little awhile! There's no reason for us to go down there and start walking!"_

_**A Gem Passes**_

As Garnet held her Gauntlet's over her head, Peridot looked up at her and said, _"Tell me something. Before I exit this life, I would like to know who that child was."_ Garnet felt her rage growing inside of her as she replied, _"It doesn't matter who he is! You won't be around to know him!"_ As the gauntlets became larger, Peridot continued to talk. _"It appears as though he possesses the Rose Quartz Gemstone. That means your Leader is no longer present, and the three of you are vulnerable. If Rose is no longer in existence, then the child will stand trial for his mother's actions." _

"_No he won't,"_ Garnet replied, as she connected her Gauntlets, then continued. _"I am the Leader of the Crystal Gems now, and I accept full responsibility for the groups actions."_ With that, Peridot looked up once more, then said her final words. _"Rose made a mistake by coming here. The four of you are no longer safe. Other gems will continue to come to earth, and you will be brought to justice for your crimes against our species."_

"_You made a mistake as well,"_ Garnet replied. "_You made the decision to come back to earth. When other gems come upon our planet, then I'll deal with it. But until such time, I think the four of us will be just fine."_

After Garnet said her words, she slammed both of her Gauntlets down upon Peridot, and the ground shook as she did. Steven had his ears covered and had his eyes closed, when he felt the ground rumbling. _"What just happened!?"_ Steven shouted, as he opened his eyes and was searching Pearls expression for a response, but she gave none. _"Let's go Steven,"_ Garnet exclaimed, as she was now standing next to him. _"We're going home."_

She took him out of Pearls arms, then lifted him up and placed him over her shoulders. Then Amethyst said, _"The warp pad is down. I don't know how it happened, but it's not working. It looks like we're walking back to the temple."_ Then Garnet replied, _"Good, one less warp pad…"_

As the three walked away, Steven looked over his shoulder, and saw the canyon slowly fade off into the distance. _"I'm glad you're okay,"_ Steven exclaimed, as he buried his face into Garnets hair. He lifted his head up and looked up towards the morning sky, then asked

"_What happened to Peridot? Is She gone? What was she doing here?"_

"_I told you Steven, it was just a nightmare,"_ Garnet replied. _"All nightmare's come to an end…"_


End file.
